The walk-in order counter, claimed for greater than twenty years by Benny Blanco’s earlier than the pizza joint left Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, wasn’t vacant for lengthy.
Jonathan Mora, a New York-via-Florida transplant from a household of pizza makers, moved into the slim kitchen on 616 E. thirteenth Ave. in December. His two ideas, Tua Mama’s Pizzeria and the vegan Mora New York Pizza, are open for lunch and dinner rushes.
Mora’s recipes are utterly faraway from what Benny Blanco’s served earlier than leaving for Arvada final summer time. A 20-inch cheese pie from Tua Mama’s is $25; signature caprese, bianca, spicy sausage and rooster parmesan pizzas are $28. The menu additionally has 12-inch subs (all $15), pastas (all $15 besides the $20 lasagna), a build-your-own calzone ($15) and doughy appetizers corresponding to garlic knots ($5) and mozzarella sticks ($8.99).
The menu choices for Mora New York Pizza are all vegan, together with a 20-inch vegan pie for $30 and vegan subs, calzones and appetizers. Mora additionally sells pizza by the slice for $4 or $5 with a topping.
The vegan enterprise is what first drew Mora to Denver. He would distribute about 200 pizzas every week to town, packed in dry ice and shipped from the East Coast, he mentioned.
Mora ditched the delivery enterprise and began his personal pizza enterprise within the metropolis, first via a meals truck and later within Rico’s Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen in Englewood. Then he started eyeing the Benny Blanco’s spot final August.
However he wasn’t the one one. James Bedwell, who was working the music venue Your Mother’s Home subsequent door, had secured the lease whereas trying to find a accomplice. The 2 are actually co-owners of Tua Mama’s.
A twin idea, Mora mentioned, permits him to afford hire, utilities and the excessive costs for vegan elements. “It’s loads simpler to be operable,” he mentioned.
The bodily area and its ornamental allure appears comparatively unchanged inside. The identical stickers cowl the door and the vent system above the pizza ovens. The general public entrance is little greater than the order counter, two stools and a coin-operated claw machine.
Mora and Bedwell mentioned they’re engaged on promoting bottled and canned beer behind the counter. Mora mentioned he plans to return to Florida in the summertime and journey forwards and backwards to Denver.
Subscribe to our new meals e-newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drinks information despatched straight to your inbox.
Initially Revealed: